Monday, 14 October 2013

"I remember being given a mix tape with Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy etc. and being blown away. My background was a normal upbringing with no alternative kids. All I knew was that in the root of my veins I did not like mainstream, whatever it was I hated it."

A rising rhythm of dark electronica emerges from the smoke,
followed by a heavy vice beat. Boots hit and caress the hard floor; arms glide
and get lost amongst the rhythm. This is SkinJob, a one man project / two person
live set. With two releases gone by and a recent tour with Icon of Coil,
SkinJob are making their way through the gothic-electro scene with black
luminance.

Backstage latex is being pulled off after performing at the
Classic Grand, Glasgow. Fitz writer and founder of the group, takes a towel to
a shiny chest and gives a glimpse of what lies beneath the electronic rhythm of
Skinjob.

Intravenous Magazine: What is Skin Job?

Fitz: We started
this in 1992 back when we were in college, about the time 'Pretty Hate Machine' by Nine Inch Nails came out. What we wanted to
do was make post-modern industrial dance and that was the key concept, as we
thought that nobody is doing this. What we wanted to accomplish is what modern
EBM has become today.

We came up with very cool avant-garde ideas though we were
poor students and we couldn’t afford to record. I shelved it for a few years
and once I saw what computers could do and what also you can do yourself with
your own music software I could see viability of bringing SkinJob back from the
shadows, it could work now.

IVM: Why did you choose to
bring political opinion into your music?

Fitz: In a lot of
my music there are political opinions and statements. I write about things that
affect me and this is one area that affects me greatly.

IVM: So do you want to use
this as a way of bringing change, or just an expression of opinion?

Fitz: I haven’t
really thought about it in that way, I just want to express my opinion. If
people become inspired by bringing change through my compositions this is fine.

IVM: Your influences?

Fitz: I was influenced
by a lot of amazing music. I remember being given a mix tape with Nitzer Ebb,
Skinny Puppy etc. and being blown away. My background was a normal upbringing
with no alternative kids. All I knew was that in the root of my veins I did not
like mainstream, whatever it was I hated it.

IVM: Going into the
present day of SkinJob where is it now?

Fitz: We don’t
know frankly, we take it as it comes. Two years ago the first album came into
being and then I and Susana were in a car crash which knocked us down for a
while and it was only recently I started writing music again and its now in a
new direction. What I don’t want to be is a carbon copy club writer on
profitability. I do it for the art of production, if it works fantastic, if not
I don’t care.

IVM: How has it been on
the tour so far?

Fitz: Well the
guys from Icon Of Coil and Terrolokaust are really great! Icon is one of my
favourite artists, so to be offered a place on the tour was fantastic.

IVM: Name two Desert
Island tracks?

Fitz:

Depeche Mode - 'Never Let Me Down Again',

Nitzer Ebb - 'Godhead'.

IVM: With the advancements
of music feedback such as Soundcloud do you use them?

Fitz: I
definitely love the idea of tools such as Soundcloud, as an artist you would
write your album, get some reviews and find out whether it was bad a few years
later. Whereas now I can write a song, put it up on Soundcloud see likes and
comments, the same goes for Facebook.

IVM: Would it though
govern how your music is created?

Fitz: It’s a
balancing act, yes I do listen to what people may not like in a track and I’ll
maybe tweak it a bit, though I am not going to do a complete overhaul as at the
same time it is my material.

IVM: When music artist
drama occurs in the scene, what do you think about it?

Fitz: As a music
artist I am a firm believer in that once in the public eye you lose all rights
to opinion… in order to become successful. If you do make an opinion, then it
will instantly be dissected by anyone, for their own agenda. Then again this
can work towards publicity, as any drama within the scene, causes attention;
any publicity is good publicity. Whether it is good for the scene or not is
another matter.